Skip Bayless snubs Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, choosing Philly’s Joel Embiid as his MVP pick for this season.
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This NBA season has been more competitive than ever. While the teams have been in a tough battle amongst each other to grab a playoffs spot, the MVP race is tighter than before.
Several stars have been having a noteworthy year this season – Stephen Curry with his Warriors, the Greek Freak and his Bucks, Dame and the Blazers, Luka leading his Dallas team. However, there are two players who have been playing the best basketball of their careers, being the frontrunners to win the MVP honours – Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid.
Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Philly’s Joel Embiid are two of the best players in the whole league. Both the players, in their own ways, have revolutionised how the centre position is played.
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Joel Embiid was looking like the favorite to win the title entering the All-Star break, leading his team to the best record in the Eastern Conference.
However, after being riddled by an injury that sidelined him for over a month, his case for the MVP honors started to slip out of his hands. Jokic, meanwhile, stayed strong and led his Nuggets to 3 straight great months in February, March and April.
With the Nuggets placed third in the Western Conference, and Nikola playing out of his mind, many voters have decided that the Serbian star is the clear-cut favourite for the prestigious Most Valuable Player award.
Skip Bayless disagrees with everyone, calls Joel Embiid his MVP pick over Nikola Jokic
While many of the voters have already decided on Nikola Jokic as the clear-cut winner for the MVP, analyst Skip Bayless has a different opinion.
Skip is among the small group of analysts and voters who actually have Philly leader Joel Embiid winning the honors. While giving Jokic credits where due, Skip claimed how the Cameroonian is the more obvious pick for the MVP. Bayless took it to Twitter:
“Looks like Jokic will win MVP. But I’ll still take Embiid over Jokic. Little better shooter. Much better rim protector. Gives you power as well as finesse. Durability? OK, that goes to Jokic.”
Looks like Jokic will win MVP. But I’ll still take Embiid over Jokic. Little better shooter. Much better rim protector. Gives you power as well as finesse. Durability? OK, that goes to Jokic.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 6, 2021
Despite what Skip has to claim, Nikola is clearly having a better shooting year than Embiid. The Nuggets 3-time All-Star has been averaging a whopping 26.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game while shooting 56.5% from the field and 40.5% beyond the arc.
Also Read: Skip Bayless waxes eloquent about the Wizards star over his recent performances
Whereas, the 27-year-old JoJo has been putting up an astonishing 29.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game although, shooting at 51.1% from the field and a mediocre 36.3% behind the three-point line.
Regardless, both these generational talents are having an unforgettable season. As we reach the end of the regular season the MVP race becomes more exciting. With both of them helping their team grab the first seed of their respective conferences, the prestigious trophy is surely up for grabs.
